Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi started his holiday yesterday with a specialist treatment designed to relieve stress and help him rest, newspaper Corriere dell'Alto Adige reported.

Three doctors from a private clinic in Brixen, in South Tyrol, were flown by helicopter on Saturday to Mr Berlusconi's Milan residence, said the paper.

The medics would advise the premier on an appropriate diet, according to the South Tyrol-based newspaper. Mr Berlusconi, embroiled in a string of scandals over his private life, gave details on Saturday about his holiday plans.

"From August 10 to 20, perhaps until the 25, I will be in Sardinia," he said.

He has a villa on the island, which was the setting for a series compromising photos published by the Spanish newspaper El Pais showing topless women and a man in the nude.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.